was as liberal as they could ask. Then look at
the proposed arrangement in the House of Dele-
gates—the popular branch—where all, he had
thought, would agree there should he an approx-
imation at least to the popular basis. Is that the
general character of the proposition ? It is not
far from it. And yet gentlemen talk about liber-
ality. Now were it not for the fact that this
Convention had been nearly five months in ses-
sion, and he was anxious that it should get
through with its labors, he would not have voted
for it. When men got up on this floor and talked
about their power, and of the great danger of in-
jury being done their property, if the House of
Delegates should legislate in a particular way, it
being so constituted as to be able to do so—
where, he asked, was the Senate? Had they
not the power to check improper and ill-advised
legislation? Certainly they had; and he appre-
hended there was not the slightest ground of dan-
ger. But, he repeated, the Convention had been
so long in session, that he was disposed, for his
own part, to come down to a compromise, and he
thought after surveying of the whole ground, that
they had better accept the proposition of the
gentleman from Washington, who deserved the
thanks of this body for the general excellence of
the projet that he had brought forward.
Mr. BRENT, of Balt. city, would not have trou-
bled the Convention with any observations, but
for some remarks which had fallen from his col-
league, (Mr. Presstman.) In the vote which he
had given to-day, in common with his two col-
leagues from Baltimore city, (Messrs. Sherwood
and Gwinn,) he was ready to abide any responsi-
bility which devolved upon him.
The gentleman also, (Mr. Presstman,) might
abide the consequences of his own convictions
and his own views. He, (Mr. Brent,) took no
particular credit to himself in contrast with the
course of his other colleagues who differed from
him.
He had defined his position according to his
honest and sincere convictions of right and of
duty months ago, and he intended to adhere to
what he had then said.
His colleague, (Mr. Presstman,) had said, that
he went for the best scheme that could be ob-
tained. He, [Mr. B.] had only to say that, his
colleague from the first had identified himself
with the compromise of this question.
He, on the contrary, had not pursued that
course of compromise, but while claiming the
rights of his constituents, he had never said that
representation according to population, was in-
dispensable to the new Constitution, and he did
not say so now. He had made no sine qua non,
in regard to this particular matter; but he had
said this, that while he was willing to take half a
loaf, he was unwilling to take any of the crumbs
that the Convention were disposed to cast to the
sovereign people of Maryland.
He regarded the proposition of the gentleman
from Washington, (Mr. Fiery,) as a mere
crumb offered to the people he had the honor in
part to represent. Now, upon this question,
what, he asked, was the position that he had ta-
ken? |
In justice to himself, he would refer to the
debates in this Convention on the fifth of February
last. On that day it would he found, he had
the honor to declare that the question of repre-
sentation should he postponed till near the close
of their labors, as it was the greatest and most
momentous question that could come before this
body, because he desired to see the constitution-
al guaranties which were to precede the adjust-
ment of that question, and because he was oppos-
ed to the course of the western reformers here,
who were for denying equal and exact justice to
his, (Mr. B's.,) constituents, while they claimed
their own just rights and every thing that equitable
belonged to them as citizens of the State of
Maryland.
He had then said that if the rights and privi-
leges of his constituents were to be defeated and
taken away from them, he would oppose any
compromise—any plan—that did not place them
all upon an equal and just platform. Now, what
was the proposition then before the Convention ?
It was based on an odious discrimination between
the people of Baltimore city, and the people of
the counties. He would show the Convention
that Baltimore city and county, Carroll county,
and Allegany county, Frederick and Washington
counties, have a majority of gross population in
the whole State of sixty-eight thousand seven
hundred and four, and yet by this boasted com-
promise, they would be in a minority of five in
the House of Delegates, upon the basis of white
inhabitants. The same five counties and the
city of Baltimore, have a majority of one hun-
dred and thirty-three thousand five hundred and
fifty-five inhabitants, and yet they are to be over-
slaughed in the House of Delegates by giving to
the minority, a majority of five delegates.
Now, was this a just—was it a liberal com-
promise? And if this projet were carried out,
there would be found no semblance of equality
or justice in it. The gentleman from Carroll,
(Mr. Brown) had just said that he would com-
promise if the scheme of representation was
carried throughout. Does the gentleman from
Washington propose to do that? No, he pro-
posed a basis of some six thousand of the popu-
lation on the basis of federal numbers. Why, at
that rate Baltimore city would beentitled to be-
tween twenty-four and thirty delegates, and yet
she is allowed by this Washington county compro-
mise, only ten. How could men who conceived
themselves to be acting under great responsibil-
ity, and who were desirous to carry out the
views of their constituents, act in concert or
compromise with others who spoke and acted in
the very teeth of their own principles? How, he
inquired, could they agree to that which was but
a mere empty modification of the present sys-
tem? He did not consider that the battle had
been half fought, here. There had been discus-
sions upon propositions to postpone and to refer
the subject to a committee, but we had never
yet had the light of truth given to the world.
He had heretofore been deprived of the privilege
of speaking his sentiments, but yet he was grati-
fied to hear those of others. He had never dis- |
